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A complete course for the NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) exam, built against the 2025 NHA CPT test plan. It starts with the blood and the vessels you will be working on, then builds through infection control, patient identification and consent, tubes and the order of draw, the venipuncture procedure, complications, capillary sticks, blood cultures, point-of-care and forensic collections, and finally specimen processing and results. The cards are weighted to the exam's five domains.
| Questions | 100 scored items plus 20 pretest items |
|---|---|
| Time | 2 hours |
| Passing score | 390 on NHA's 500-point scale, from the cut score NHA set in 2017 |
| Domains (scored items) | Routine blood collections 28; safety and compliance 26; patient preparation 20; processing 14; special collections 12 |
| Eligibility | Evidence of at least 30 venipunctures and 10 capillary or finger sticks on live individuals |
| Retakes | You can re-apply 30 days after a failed attempt; after a third unsuccessful attempt you wait 12 months |
| Renewal | NHA certifications renew every two years with 10 continuing education credits; 2 hours of CE equals 1 credit |
Source: NHA CPT Test Plan (2025 edition), NHA CPT standard setting executive summary, NHA CPT eligibility update, NHA retake guidance and NHA continuing education page (info.nhanow.com, knowledge.nhanow.com), read 2026-09-25.
Copied straight from the course. In the app, each wrong option also gets its own explanation.
Card 1A phlebotomist must collect a lavender, a light-blue, a green and a gray tube. Which is drawn first?
Light blue top. Light blue (citrate) comes ahead of green, lavender and gray in the six-step order.
Card 2A lavender tube is filled and set down without being mixed. What is the most likely problem?
Clots or platelet clumping. Too few inversions leave the additive unmixed, so clots or platelet clumping can occur.
Card 3You have drawn the same patient several times and recognize their face. What should you still do?
Ask the patient to state their name and check the requisition. Visual recognition is secondary; the patient states their name and it is compared with the requisition.
Yes. Create a free Encodr account and all 13 units and 860 cards are yours to study, with spaced repetition scheduling your reviews.
The 2025 NHA test plan lists 100 scored items and 20 pretest items, with 2 hours of exam time. Only the scored items count toward your result.
NHA reports CPT scores on a scale with a maximum of 500, and the cut score set in its 2017 standard setting study was 390. Check NHA's current candidate materials before your exam date in case that has changed.
The standard order is blood culture bottles, light blue (citrate), serum tubes (red and gold), green (heparin), lavender (EDTA), then gray (fluoride). It keeps additive from one tube contaminating the next. Unit 6 teaches it with drills, and the free order of draw quiz below lets you practice it.